PEOPLE in Keynsham have started a petition against proposals to allocate huge areas around the town for new housing, under proposals for the new Local Plan.
They say the proposals threaten to “disrupt the balance of our cherished town.”
Almost 300 have signed a change.org petition started by John James which calls on Bath & North East Somerset Council to reconsider the proposals – although it does not call for the council to scrap them all.
Mr Jones said: “We the undersigned believe that Keynsham has already taken a lot of housing in recent years.
“We understand the need to build all types of housing, particularly smaller units.
“We support new housing at North Keynsham and Hicks Gate but not on any other sites in Keynsham identified in the B&NES local plan options document.”
Hicks Gate and North Keynsham are two of four large allocations being suggested by B&NES Council as potential options for the Local Plan. The other two are west of Bath and north of Midsomer Norton.
The council’s cabinet member for built environment, housing, and sustainable development, Matt McCabe, said: “These sites are not without their challenges but the West of England’s emerging growth strategy is focussing on the A4 corridor between Bristol and Bath and on the Somer Valley.
“And that means the infrastructure investment planned for these regionally important sites can also unlock housing for our residents.”
Allocating an area for housing in the Local Plan does not mean a development is certain, and developers will still need to apply for planning permission, but it allows the council to direct where it wants developments to go.
For how to respond to the Local Plan proposals, visit https://bathnesplaces.co.uk/localplan
To view the petition, visit https://www.change.org/p/preserve-keynsham-s-character-by-opposing-unwarranted-housing?source_location=search
John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporting Service
Keynsham protest petition over new homes
